The present invention relates to exercise methods and apparatus and more specifically, to exercise equipment which facilitates exercise through a generally elliptical path of motion.
Exercise equipment has been designed to facilitate a variety of exercise motions. For example, treadmills allow a person to walk or run in place; stepper machines allow a person to climb in place; bicycle machines allow a person to pedal in place; and other machines allow a person to skate and/or stride in place. Yet another type of exercise equipment has been designed to facilitate relatively more complicated exercise motions and/or to better simulate real life activity. Such equipment typically links a relatively simple motion, such as circular, to a relatively more complex motion, such as elliptical. Although advances have been made in this particular field, significant room for improvement remains.
The present invention provides methods and apparatus to link relatively simple, circular motion of a crank to relatively more complex, generally elliptical motion of a foot supporting member. One aspect of the present invention is to use flexible rocker links to support left and right foot supporting members on elliptical exercise equipment. Another aspect of the present invention is to use lateral supports in conjunction with the flexible rocker links to enhance the structural integrity of such equipment. The features and advantages of the present invention may become more apparent from the detailed description that follows.